U.S. Army to announce reshaped modernization plan

WASHINGTON, June 26

WASHINGTON, June 26 (Reuters) - The U.S. Army said on
Thursday it was speeding up delivery of parts of its $160
billion Future Combat Systems program in what could be a net
positive for the co-program managers, Boeing Co (BA.N) and
Science Applications International Corp SAI.N.

The Army will hold a briefing later in the day to detail
acceleration of "some of the technologies going to soldiers
fighting right now in Iraq and Afghanistan," said Lindy Kyzer,
an Army spokeswoman.

Future Combat Systems, or FCS, is the centerpiece of Army
modernization. It consists of 14 manned and unmanned systems
tied together by communications and information links.

The plan is to replace systems such as the M-1 Abrams tank
and the M-2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle among other
weapons.

The Army is seeking about $3.6 billion in fiscal 2009 for
the Future Combat Systems program, or about 10 percent of its
combined research and procurement request for the year.

The House of Representatives Armed Services Committee voted
to cut about $200 million from the request for fiscal 2009,
which starts Oct. 1.
(Reporting by Jim Wolf; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)